10.30.2011

It's that time of year, love it, and the weather is right on target ! During our trip to NYC theBergdorf Windowswere of course a destination of mine ! They never disappoint . . . check out the old school masks . . bring you back?

This one really caught my eye and the light bulb went off . . Lucy's costume. Now she's not a big dresser-upper . . but she went for it ! Yeah, inspiration, and frankly pretty easy (as well as the fact I knew Keith would have major flashbacks on the finished look . . being a former Punk Rebel !)

Ok . . . let the fun begin. .

1. Get Lucy to understand it's cool !

2. Find some red fishnet stockings - check

3. Saftey pins - check

4. Google Biker Jackets and order an extra small grown up (and being surprised on the price) - check

5. Give her the Ed Hardy T shirt I bought for myself that is

A. Too small

B. Too cool

C. I'm not 20 - what was I thinking ?

6. Print out Button Covers . . since we are last minute costume people and our stash of punk related

buttons are in the attic somewhere - check.

7. Pull out the spike collar I wore last week - check.

8. Find the Doc Watson's . . . maybe not - so found a pair of cheap black lace up boots - check

9. Pulled out the vintage plaid skirt we got in the Village in NY when this entire costume popped in

my head, then take a scissor to it to shorten, cut the side, add more safety pins. - check

10. Drag Lucy to a nearby graffiti wall to take a better picture and TA DA . . . here you have it.

Got to say . . she was a little more into it this year . . . as oppose to last year ! No too happy . . .

But of course Keith and I were totally into it . . . (look at Kate . . . totally ticked she wasn't wearing pink with glitter !!!)

Wow . . how they've grown . . and when I say Kate needs pink and glitter . . I am not kidding . . had to find a witch with a PINK skirt . . . nothing has changed !

2011 !

Now our neighborhood get's into it . . . with the wall -o-pumkins, and our 14 foot Mr. Pumpkin with his spider buddies!

As far as I am concerned . . . for Halloween . . . More is More !!!!

Gotta say, my cousin Meredith Clayton gives me a run for my money . . certainly with her amazing photo, and the costume design she always knocks it out of the park . . . take a look. . .

And take a look at Ashley's son Schafer . . . I just love this picture she took !

Thought I'd share with you my love of tile application and a new line I have just discovered called Porcelanosa. I was introduced to this one day at the office when Jessica Kohn came by to show me just what it was all about. I liked her immediately. She knew her stuff first of all, the product spoke for itself, and the price point really caught my attention. She was extremely helpful, informative and I got the impression that if I used her product for one of my clients, it would be a pleasant and easy experience! That's so important to me, as I want my vendors to be easy to work with, knowledgable and willing to "make it happen." This makes us all happy! A good rep also show us designers all the new things out there - we haven't even seen yet - that we can pass along, creating something new and unique - and isn't that what we all want !

So after her visit I starting thinking about a few clients interested in updating their powder rooms, especially for the holiday parties coming up. One of the things I have noticed is the constant complaint that kids tend to "splash" a lot on the gorgeous wall paper (now my kids don't - cause I am a freak and make them go to their bathroom but the rest of the world let's their kids actually use any of the bathrooms) so - how about a wall to wall tile installation ! The powder room is THE space all your guests see and use and a small enough space to really do something special !

I also want to do something special to the entrance of our showroom, our outside stoop, and while we were brainstorming we can up with the idea of covering our brick with a black and white marble tile in a CHEVRON pattern. . how cool would that be !

So take a look at some of my favorites from Porcelanosa !!!

This floor is so awesome . . how great would it be in your kitchen as oppose to a rug under that kitchen table ! Very similar to our future stoop design ! Yum.

And who doesn't love Carrara Marble ! This is totally inspiring me to think about my master bathroom and FINALLY doing something with it, now that I know it won't cost me a fortune !!!

Don't limit yourself to just tile in the bath or kitchen . . . Here's a picture taken at the 2009 Kipp's Bay Designer Show House. The design is by Lichten Craig. What I love about it is the Venetian Plaster ceiling (keep reading and you'll find out about Venetian Plaster) with all it's slick smooth shine, carried down the walls. The floor is actually a two-tone oak board installation in this project, BUT how about tile instead ? Too big a commitment . . . no way ! Black and White stands the test of time !

So there's the deal on Porcelanosa . . . .

PORCELANOSA was founded more than 30 years ago in a small village by the Mediterranean Sea in Castellon, Spain. Since then, they have provided architectural and design solutions to homeowners and the A&D community with unparalleled innovation, quality, and service. Porcelanosa has such a unique story; the factory in Spain is 10 million square feet with 400 showrooms in 82 countries and 16 in the US. They are continuously growing each year.

With over 5 years of experience in the tile & stone industry, Jessica Kohn is the new Commercial/Architectural sales rep in Charlotte, NC for PORCELANOSA, a multinational European tile, kitchen & bath manufacturer. She is from Camden, SC and a College of Charleston graduate. Jessica has grown up going to jobsites with her father, a general contractor with over 20 years of experience, eventually learning her own passion for design. She is currently a member of the Interior Design Society in Charlotte and also sponsored the recent Multifamily Bisnow event at the Westin in Uptown.

Jessica is very driven and most importantly focused on maintaining strong loyal relationships with her clientele in both South & North Carolina. She will work on a project as small as a single residential bathroom to as large as a hotel or commercial office building.

How about an accent wall, this Wave pattern comes in white or black !

How about the floors, nice alternative to hardwood !

Wow. . . do you see any seams ? So clean.

. . . and how about a little shimmer glam ! Would be great in the grey for overall wall treatment, or the chrome look for a kitchen backsplash, really pulling in those stainless appliances.

Ok . . too mod - too white, to slick. . they have a great line of warm wood looks . . .

Take a look . . .

The above is the Casona Castagno Collection . . . "the looks of nature's serenity . . without the maintenance of hardwood."

I could see any of these up a fireplace wall like this . . .

They also do some amazingstone looks . . .

Now these reminds me of Venetian Plaster, which i love, but know it's a long and multi-step process (my husband can attest to that . . ) But first let's compare venetian plaster to tile . . .

Venetian plaster : is a wall and ceiling finish using thin layers of plaster applied with a spatula or trowel which are then burnished to create a smooth surface with the illusion of depth and texture. Venetian plaster techniques include marmorino, scagliola, and sgraffito.

The look is amazing and we have done it in the past . . . . here's a picture of an applied venetian plaster. . .

BUT . . . here's are a few pictures of the tile . . . same look, without the back breaking application . . .

Ok . . . on to textured stone . . . all great in a bath or fireplace installation !!

Color? They have that too !!!

So . . . think about tile ! And if you have problems visualizing take a look at some images I pulled from my inspiration files . . . it's endless what you can do and create. While these may not all be Porcelanosa . . I know they offer equally amazing tiles to create similar looks at an affordable price !!!

And give us a call - be glad to call Jessica to bring us some eye-candy samples !

- Beth

oh and p.s. noticed on their web site . . .

if Mr. Clooney and the W Hotel endorses the product that's good enough for me, is it not apparent that both George and the W are perfection !!!!

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Beth Keim, Owner

At Lucy and Company something original is what you will find. Bright and bold, funky and fresh for all ages and all interests. One of A Kind pieces, original art, high-end furnishings. A full service design firm in Charlotte. North Carolina founded in 1999 and still going strong... Scan ideas, tips, finished projects, color inspiration, and just things I love. A little bit of everything is what my blog is all about and at the end of my week I enjoy looking back on my crazy week! Enjoy and thanks for stopping by . . .

About Us

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Maggie Yackel

Maggie joined the firm in 2014. Working right along side Beth, learning and developing the firm's look while bringing new ideas and designs to the table. She particularly loves designing delicious bedrooms ! As another Contributing Editor, for Lucy and Company, check out some of her work and some of her favorite things ! She's is going to be one to watch !

Mekenzie France

My Contributing Editor and Staff photographer, Mekenzie France beautifully documents my design projects, new products and design inspiration we love. She is a photographer of natural light, composition and character.